The Art of Getting There
by pancakesareking
Summary: Yaoi. Toboe thinks about growing up, so Tsume offers a horrible pep talk and some late-night conversation.


**Title:** The Art of Getting There

**Summary: **Toboe thinks about growing up, so Tsume offers a horrible pep talk and some late-night conversation.

**Pairing:** Toboe x Tsume. Heh. The barest of hints at Hige x Kiba.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Wolf's Rain, or any of it's characters.

**Author's Notes:** So, here's another new Wolf's Rain story. This one might not make any sense, but I am totally okay with that. And, uh, since I missed the episodes where they were actually in the desert of Bones, I'm improvising. We're going to pretend they set up a fire, and camp out, and that there is sand in the desert, even if it's a minute amount. Because my improvisational skills a limited, at best. Anyhow! This might not be as humor oriented as the others, but that's because Toboe is actually being all thought-provoking and stuff in this one. Well, I intended him to be. And Tsume is just sexy, and there for the ride. Ha, ha, no pun intended.

-**The Art of Getting There**-

It's late, almost midnight, and Toboe is wide awake. There's a fire , dying slowly, some ten feet away, so Toboe doesn't get too hot; after all, they are in a desert. Embers are dancing slowly through the air, and for a second Toboe very stupidly wishes he could be dancing around too. And he hates it, because he's such a little kid sometimes.

He looks around, watching the others. Hige and Kiba are close to one another, and Hige is curled around himself, snoring loudly. Toboe smiles softly, and let's his eyes roam over to Tsume. He knows he shouldn't be surprised to find the other wolf wide awake, staring at the fire as if it's the most boring thing he's ever seen. Still, his eyes grow wide, and his smile fades quickly.

Tsume looks up. And smirks.

And his heart is beating faster now, and he thinks it must be the shock of finding out he's not the only one awake. Really, he wonders how he didn't notice.

But he's noticing now, and Tsume is noticing back, not looking _as_ bored, but definitely looking like he'd be up to kicking ass or something manly like that. And the way he's staring almost looks like an invitation, even though Tsume is not the inviting sort, but Toboe takes it that way.

So he begins to crawl around the fire, and as he gets closer to Tsume, he hears a quiet snort.

And Tsume is leaning back on his elbows, his legs open and bent at the knee, and the light from the fire is reflecting on his pants. It's a sight that makes Toboe smile once more, and makes his stomach ache in a wonderful way. Of course, the moment is shattered when he opens his mouth and asks, "Can't sleep?"

As he'd expected, Tsume doesn't even grace his question with an answer, just stares at Toboe silently.

Still, Toboe murmurs, "Me either." Then he moves closer, sitting back with crossed legs and letting his shoulder bump against Tsume's. He shivers, and blames it on the cold.

"Kind of cold, tonight," Toboe says, and doesn't even bother looking to see if Tsume is still smirking.

"Yeah," Tsume replies, and moves his hand to place it over Toboe's. His fingers move slowly, rubbing gently but firmly, and Tsume turns to meet Toboe's surprised gaze. "Getting warmer?"

Yeah, Toboe wants to say as he feels heat flood his body, he's feeling warmer alright. But he knows Tsume was just asking one of those questions that isn't really supposed to be answered. Rhetorical, his mind supplies. It seems like such a grown-up word, though.

And really, he doesn't know why he thinks that.

"You think more than you talk," Tsume mutters, and his hand is back on the sand.

"Is that a bad thing?"

Yellow eyes, and that horribly familiar smirk, and Toboe has to gulp really hard, because his mouth feels dry. Damn it, he thinks, why is Tsume making him feel this way?

"It depends on what you're thinking about," and it comes out sounding like a mix between an invitation to talk, and an order.

Toboe feels like the proverbial deer caught in the headlights. Warmth is taking up permanent residence in his cheeks. He rubs them a bit, and blames it on the fire.

"I—just—I feel weird."

"That's normal, kid, just deal with it."

Wow, what a pep talk, Toboe wants to say, but settles for blurting, "It's your fault!"

Tsume coughs, but it sounds like he's trying to cover a laugh.

Toboe tries to fight the pout, but feels it take over. "It is!"

"Look, kid, you're just growing up."

It's horrible to realize that Tsume is right, even though Toboe hates being the kid—but he also hates the wonderful, awkward, stupid feelings Tsume evokes in him. Toboe stares at the sand, soft brown eyes sad, and he feels younger than ever. He begins to trace small pictures in the sand with his finger, until Tsume's hand is wrapped around Toboe's wrist.

He doesn't bother struggling, just keeps his eyes on the ground and murmurs, "I wish I could skip the growing up and just be grown up."

(_If wishes were fishes the sea would be empty_.) He thinks he remembers the old woman saying that once, when she was talking to herself. But thinking of her makes Toboe's heart hurt, so he just looks at Tsume for a minute, before pushing himself up and letting his lips press against the older wolf's.

The first few seconds is just the two of them sitting still, not daring to move. After Toboe's counted to seven, or something, Tsume pulls away.

"Your curiosity sated?" He asks, staring at the fire once more.

It might be another rhetorical question, but Toboe answers anyway with a petulant, "No." And he begins drawing in the sand again, with the other hand this time, because Tsume is still holding his other wrist. "I hate the way you wake me feel," he admits, and tells himself he's not whining—he's just being honest.

"What, do you want an apology?"

"Would you give me one if I did?"

"No."

"I didn't think so."

Quiet would have been prevalent, had Hige's snoring not been so loud. At one particular snort of breath, Toboe could have sworn he heard a very low, "Just kiss him already." Of course, he told himself, that just had to be his imagination. Regardless, he peered over the fire at Hige, who has uncurled enough to grab a fist-full of Kiba's plain white shirt, and Kiba's face is relaxed into what Toboe would consider the slightest of smiles.

Weird.

"Sometimes they act like a married couple."

Toboe starts. "Hige and Kiba?"

Tsume nods, and Toboe is not mistaken; Hige's hand twitches, and his snoring is just a little bit quieter than it was a minute ago. No doubt that Kiba is actually asleep, though—no one could fake that peaceful look. Well, maybe someone could, but not Kiba.

"I'd...never thought of that." He giggles quietly. "Yeah, they kind of do."

This time Hige's eyebrow twitches, and he frowns, but he's still snoring. Tsume seems to notice as well, and says, "Well, no doubt on who the wife is."

Now Toboe can barely hold back the laughter, and Hige can barely hold back the twitches.

Finally, Hige sits up and yells, "Just kiss him already, runt!"

Toboe stares, shocked, and that heat is back in his cheeks again. He turns to look at Tsume, who is a lot closer than Toboe remembers.

Deep breath, he tells himself, before plunging forward. Any awkward collision that was bound to happen is stopped when Tsume comes forward, and let's Toboe kiss him. And he lets himself kiss back.

And Toboe still feels like a child, even as Tsume's mouth moves against his, wet and hot and oh so wonderful. But he feels a little older, and sort of like he's getting somewhere in the scheme of things. He's hoping Hige has stopped watching, because a large hand is creeping under his shirt. It's one of those private things, which makes Toboe think they should be behind a...pile of bones, or something. It is a desert, after all.

But it turns out there's nothing to worry about, because Tsume just rubs Toboe's stomach softly, in one spot, as they continue to kiss. And maybe Toboe is just a little tired now, because he's been thinking so hard, and worrying himself for nothing, and he pulls away saying things in his mind he wishes he could say out loud.

Some time later, when Toboe's been asleep for maybe an hour, and Tsume is staring at the fire with half-lidded eyes, Hige is sitting up, well-rested from his nap, and staring at Kiba. He cups his friends cheek, letting his thumb caress the smooth skin there. And it might just be the light from the fire, but it looks like Kiba's small smile is a bit bigger now.

With a chuckle, Hige looks over and Toboe, who's curled up beside Tsume. Tsume doesn't look at him, just keeps his eyes on the fire, which makes Hige chuckle a little louder.

"Not quite there yet, runt," he whispers, and Toboe shifts a little in his sleep, "but you're getting there."

-END-

Okay, so I finally wrote a Wolf's Rain fic that sucks. Like last time, I apologize for the shortness, and lack of actually plot. Maybe this would go in the fluff category, were there one, or maybe the couldn't-suck-less category. Anyway, that's MY opinion.

I still want to know yours.

Even if it is mean, and it makes me cry, and want to shoot myself. I'll get over it.

I'm thinking of writing a Kiba x Hige story, but it's just so hard. For serious.

Violets are blue, roses are white, leave a review, and I'll check it tonight. Hoorah!


End file.
